
Therapy and Theology
Have you ever looked at a situation you’re facing in utter disbelief and thought, "How will I ever get over this?" Lysa TerKeurst understands. After years of heartbreak and emotional trauma, she realized it’s not about just getting over hard circumstances but learning how to work through what she has walked through. Now, she wants to help you do the same. That’s why Lysa teamed up with her personal, licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress, alongside the Director of Theological Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, to bring you "Therapy & Theology." While Lysa, Jim and Joel do tackle some really hard topics, you’ll soon find they're just three friends having a great conversation and learning from each other along the way.
Latest episodes

Mar 16, 2023 • 54min
S3 E1 | Is This Relationship Toxic?
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "When a Relationship Is Falling Apart." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her Licensed Professional Counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for conversations about how to keep moving forward in a healthy way when relationships in your life are unraveling. In Episode 1, Lysa, Jim and Joel tackle the hot-topic word "toxic," defining what it is, what it isn't, and how to respond to toxic dynamics in a relationship.Related Resources:Some say time heals all wounds ... but what if that’s not true? It’s what we do with that time that moves us forward or not. In the pages of Lysa TerKeurst’s new devotional, "You’re Going to Make It: 50 Morning and Evening Devotions to Unrush Your Mind, Uncomplicate Your Heart, and Experience Healing Today," you will receive the biblical Truth and encouragement you need when hurtful situations leave you worn out and unmotivated to spend time with God. Order your copy today!Don't forget to download your Listener Guide! This guide will help you remember and apply what you have learned, with statements to cling to and scriptures to soak in. We'd like to thank the American Association of Christian Counselors for partnering with us to sponsor Season 3 of Therapy & Theology. Click here to apply for their Mental Health Coach program where you'll be equipped to respond to friends walking through tough issues like depression, stress and anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, addictions and more.Click here to download the transcript for this episode.

Mar 9, 2023 • 2min
Season 3 Trailer
Welcome to the newest series of Therapy & Theology: "When a Relationship Is Falling Apart."Some of the most joy-filled moments and memories overflow from the relationships in our lives. And some of the most painful, heartbreaking moments and memories overflow from the relationships in our lives. Relationships are wonderful ... until they're not.And when things begin unraveling, it’s so hard to know how to process it all in a healthy way.In these new episodes, join Lysa TerKeurst; her Licensed Professional Counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, as they answer your questions and have conversations about how to keep moving forward when relationships in your life are falling apart. Lysa, Jim and Joel discuss topics like:- Signs of destructive and toxic behavior.- Marriage, divorce and dating again.- Forgiveness and reconciliation.Join us for this five-part series starting March 16, 2023.Related Resources:Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay connected with Lysa TerKeurst, Jim Cress and Dr. Joel Muddamalle on Instagram.Proverbs 31 Ministries reaches women in the middle of their busy days through free devotions; podcasts; speaking events; conferences; resources; Online Bible Studies; and training in the call to write, speak and lead others. Learn more by visiting our website!We'd like to thank the American Association of Christian Counselors for partnering with us to sponsor Season 3 of Therapy & Theology. Click here to apply for their Mental Health Coach program where you'll be equipped to respond to friends walking through tough issues like depression, stress and anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, addictions and more.We want to get to know you! Will you tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out this survey?

9 snips
Nov 23, 2022 • 50min
S2 E6 | What Makes a Woman Resilient
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about therapy and theology. In Episode 6, we look at women throughout history who have made a great impact and how emotionally healthy women today are vital in the flourishing of society. Related Resources: Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order here.Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review. Want to dig deeper? Dr. Joel Muddamalle put together additional biblical context for this episode. Click here to download now.Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

Nov 17, 2022 • 51min
S2 E5 | Red Flags We Shouldn’t Ignore in Relationships
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about therapy and theology. In Episode 5, we'll tackle how the word "submission" has been abused and what it looks like to identify if a relationship has gone from dysfunctional to destructive. Related Resources: Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order here.Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review.Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

Nov 10, 2022 • 49min
S2 E4 | Can We Talk About the Porn-demic?
Dr. Joel Muddamalle discusses the 'porn-demic' crisis, exploring its psychological, neurological, and theological effects. The podcast delves into comparing fantasy football to porn consumption, theological implications, and navigating relationships impacted by pornography. It provides encouragement and guidance for those struggling with sexual sin.

Nov 3, 2022 • 46min
S2 E3 | Commonly Debated and Misunderstood Bible Verses That Seem To Silence Women
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about therapy and theology. In Episode 3, we focus on commonly debated and often misunderstood verses in the Bible that seem to silence women. If you missed Episode 2, click here to listen now. Related Resources: Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order here.Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review.Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

Oct 27, 2022 • 50min
S2 E2 | The Part Emotional Abuse Plays in Silencing Women
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about therapy and theology. In Episode 2, we’re talking about the part emotional abuse plays in silencing women. Related Resources: Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order here!Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.At the end of the episode, Jim recommended a counselor named Leslie Vernick. You can learn more about Leslie at her website here.Proverbs 31 Ministries reaches women in the middle of their busy days through free devotions, podcasts, speaking events, conferences, resources, online Bible studies, and training in the call to write, speak and lead others. Learn more by visiting our website!Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

Oct 20, 2022 • 46min
S2 E1 | Why No One Wins When a Woman Is Devalued
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About." Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about therapy and theology. In Episode 1, we focus on why it doesn't help anyone for a woman to be devalued. Related Resources: Want to dig deeper? Dr. Joel Muddamalle put together additional biblical context for this episode. Click here to download now.Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order here!Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review. Learn more about Proverbs 31 Ministries by visiting our website.Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

Oct 12, 2022 • 3min
Season 2 Trailer
Welcome to a new series of Therapy & Theology: "Let's Stop Avoiding This Conversation: 6 Topics Women Have Big Questions About."It’s a series you don’t want to miss … an invitation for you to come as you are with your hurts, your questions, your willingness to learn and your desire to heal.Join Lysa TerKeurst; her licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress; and Proverbs 31 Ministries' Director of Theological Research, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, for a conversation about scriptures taken out of context and sometimes used to devalue and silence women. They will also tackle questions you have around pornography, emotional abuse, submission, boundaries, and identifying destructive patterns in relationships, causing so many of us to feel crazy and paralyzed by relational dysfunctions.Join us for six weekly episodes, starting October 20, 2022.Related Resources:- Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to make sure you never miss an episode!- Stay connected with Lysa TerKeurst, Jim Cress and Dr. Joel Muddamalle on Instagram.- Proverbs 31 Ministries reaches women in the middle of their busy days through free devotions, podcasts, speaking events, conferences, resources, online Bible studies, and training in the call to write, speak and lead others. Learn more by visiting our website!

Aug 29, 2022 • 45min
S1 E12 | Mile Markers of Healing
In the middle of painful circumstances you’re walking through, how do you know if you're moving toward healing?There is hope, friend.In this episode of Therapy & Theology, Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle and licensed counselor Jim Cress will help you:Walk through a biblical framework of the healing process so you can be infused with hope for your own personal journey.Disempower the lie that the life you’re living right now is the full story, and remember that with God there's always something more true, lovely and good to be found.Find comfort in your longing to feel like your old self again, as Lysa, Jim and Joel bear witness to the hurts you’ve faced.Helpful Links:Want more wisdom as you navigate hard relationship dynamics? Find practical next steps, powerful scriptures and timely guidance on how to set realistic, healthy boundaries in Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. In the pages of this book, Lysa's personal counselor, Jim Cress, also provides therapeutic insight surrounding the topic of boundaries, helping you confidently apply what you read. Order the Proverbs 31-exclusive version here.Ready to take a personal next step in finding a Christian counselor? The American Association of Christian Counselors is a great place to find the right fit for you and your circumstances.Has the Therapy & Theology podcast helped you personally gain a fresh, biblical perspective for what you’re facing? Tell us about it by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. When you review and rate the podcast, it helps us reach even more people with biblical Truth and therapeutic wisdom. Click here to view the transcript for this episode.